Discrimination undermines equality, and may have damaging consequences for the
particular individuals involved. Monitoring the extent of discrimination is thus a very
valuable exercise. However, discrimination is difficult to measure, as it is rarely
observed directly. This report relies on the self-reported experiences of discrimination
among the general population. It investigates discrimination using a large,
representative sample of the population in Ireland using a special module of the
Quarterly National Household Survey carried out by the Central Statistics Office
(CSO) in 2010.
The survey asked individuals whether they had experienced discrimination in a
number of social situations over the previous two years, and provides important
baseline information on a number of key issues:
• The level of discrimination experienced.
• The social contexts in which discrimination occurs.
• The social characteristics of those who report discrimination.
• The perceived grounds of discrimination.
• The impact of discrimination and the responses taken.
The strengths of this data source lie in the quality and size of the sample; the diverse
social groups who reported their experiences; the range of social situations covered;
the information on the impact of discrimination and the actions taken. The chief
weakness of the methodology is the subjective nature of the data: we are relying on
people’s interpretations of discrimination. The survey was designed by the CSO to
minimise subjective variability by providing respondents with a clear definition of
discrimination, delimiting the contexts and timeframe, and surveying the whole
population, not just minority groups. While acknowledging that some subjective
variation may remain, this report capitalises on the strength of the data, to provide a
rich and comprehensive picture of the experience of discrimination in 2010. The fact
that the survey was a repeat of an earlier survey in 2004 permits some comparisons
of the experience of discrimination in an economic boom (2004) and recession
(2010).
The report enhances our understanding of the headline figures provided in the CSO
release on the QNHS Equality Module (CSO, 2011) by using statistical modelling to
identify whether group characteristics are associated with discrimination when other
characteristics are accounted for. The report also distinguishes discrimination with
some or no impact from that with a serious or very serious impact, and conducts a
detailed analysis of actions taken in response to discrimination.

Discrimination undermines equality, and may have damaging consequences for the
particular individuals involved. Monitoring the extent of discrimination is thus a very
valuable exercise. However, discrimination is difficult to measure, as it is rarely
observed directly. This report relies on the self-reported experiences of discrimination
among the general population. It investigates discrimination using a large,
representative sample of the population in Ireland using a special module of the
Quarterly National Household Survey carried out by the Central Statistics Office
(CSO) in 2010.
The survey asked individuals whether they had experienced discrimination in a
number of social situations over the previous two years, and provides important
baseline information on a number of key issues:
• The level of discrimination experienced.
• The social contexts in which discrimination occurs.
• The social characteristics of those who report discrimination.
• The perceived grounds of discrimination.
• The impact of discrimination and the responses taken.
The strengths of this data source lie in the quality and size of the sample; the diverse
social groups who reported their experiences; the range of social situations covered;
the information on the impact of discrimination and the actions taken. The chief
weakness of the methodology is the subjective nature of the data: we are relying on
people’s interpretations of discrimination. The survey was designed by the CSO to
minimise subjective variability by providing respondents with a clear definition of
discrimination, delimiting the contexts and timeframe, and surveying the whole
population, not just minority groups. While acknowledging that some subjective
variation may remain, this report capitalises on the strength of the data, to provide a
rich and comprehensive picture of the experience of discrimination in 2010. The fact
that the survey was a repeat of an earlier survey in 2004 permits some comparisons
of the experience of discrimination in an economic boom (2004) and recession
(2010).
The report enhances our understanding of the headline figures provided in the CSO
release on the QNHS Equality Module (CSO, 2011) by using statistical modelling to
identify whether group characteristics are associated with discrimination when other
characteristics are accounted for. The report also distinguishes discrimination with
some or no impact from that with a serious or very serious impact, and conducts a
detailed analysis of actions taken in response to discrimination.